Our Spare Camel Backpack has been getting well and truly Dirtified lately, with feedback flowing in thick and fast. We have been listening intently, always willing to update our gear based upon your feedback. Two suggestions have consistently stood out, and we have taken it on board to improve our gear. In a nutshell, Version 2 of our Spare Camel Backpack is here!

00:08 – We value your feedback
00:20 – Improvements to the Spare Camel
00:29 – The front slip pocket now has a zip
01:10 – The adjustable webbing can now be secured to avoid “flapping”
02:14 – Want to see other improvements?

We value your feedback
One of the key things that we do is that we’re always looking for ways to improve our bags. We do listen to the feedback that you give us – so thank you!

Improvements to the Spare Camel
The bag shown in this video is one from the latest batch. It has two new features which were the direct result of feedback we received.

The front slip pocket now has a zip
The first new feature is a change to the slip pocket on the outside. We tend to use the slip pocket for D-locks or for putting your itinerary and notes in when travelling. Feedback that we have received from a lot of people was that the slip pocket is good, but it doesn’t feel secure. They asked for a way to make it secure.

So we have now made this front slip pocket zippable. It is still a giant pocket – as the video shows, you’ve still got the room behind at the top and down the bottom so it can still be used for A4 notes and D-locks – but in addition to that you’ve now also got a zip to make it that little bit more secure and safe.

The adjustable webbing can now be secured to avoid “flapping”
The second new feature we’ve adopted is as a result of feedback we have received from cyclists and cycle commuters who have said that the straps tend to flap around and really irritate and annoy (particularly on smaller people). It was suggested to us that we find a way to stop that. So on our new Spare Camels, we have put an anti-flap device on the end of the webbing. That allows you to either:
1. Roll it up to shorten it and then secure the Hook-and-Loop tab; or
2. Secure it back on itself, fastening the tabs around the main webbing. It will slide up and down very similar to some of our messenger bags, but it won’t flap around and hit you.
(Have a look at the video for a demonstration of each of these methods.)

This new feature is really great news for cycle commuters, and it’s also good for motorbike riders.

Send us your other suggestions and feedback
If you’ve got any other suggestions to make any of our bags better, please do pass it on – we absolutely love the feedback!

New ColoursWe also have two new colours in the Spare Camel. Grey with Purple webbing and Cyan bartacks, and Royal Blue with Pink webbing (photo of this coming soon). Phwoar!